Pisoni East Eden Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared scallops, roasted chicken with cream sauce, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by master sommelier turned winemaker Paul Lato, the 'East Eden' Chardonnay is a stunning tribute to one of California's most legendary winegrowing sites: the Pisoni Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The name itself pays homage to John Steinbeck's classic novel 'East of Eden', set in the nearby Salinas Valley. Sourced from a specific, cool-climate block of the rugged Pisoni estate, this wine benefits from the dramatic maritime influences of Monterey Bay, where morning fog and fierce afternoon winds preserve natural acidity while allowing the grapes to develop intense flavor complexity. Lato's minimal-intervention approach shines here; the wine is barrel-fermented using native yeasts and aged in select French oak barrels. The result is a Chardonnay of remarkable tension, balancing a rich, voluptuous texture with a spine of crystalline minerality and vibrant citrus notes, capturing the wild, untamed spirit of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 2002 by Polish-born former sommelier Paul Lato, Paul Lato Wines is an acclaimed boutique winery based in Santa Barbara County, California. Guided by an artisanal, hands-off winemaking philosophy that prioritizes terroir transparency and balance, Lato works with some of the Central Coast's most prestigious cool-climate vineyards, including Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, and Larner. The winery has achieved international critical acclaim for its intensely aromatic, textured, and nuanced small-lot Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Chardonnay, which are celebrated for their pure fruit expression, structural precision, and distinctive poetic cuvée designations.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14.1-14.5%